Looking good from far and far from good, Ashley Tisdale was seen leaving Equinox Gym in West Hollywood yesterday (September 16).

Clad in grey workout gear, funky red sunglasses and a pollyanna hairband, the High School Musical actress flashed photogs a crooked smile following her private gym session with a personal trainer before getting on with her day.

Meanwhile, in a new interview, 24-year-old Ashley opens up about her transition from tween darling to wannabe adult temptress.

Some highlights:

Ashley on trying to create her own identity apart from the character Sharpay in the High School Musical series: “I wouldn’t be there if it wasn’t for those projects, but I feel that dyeing my hair back to its original colour, this is originally what I look like … and it does separate me from that in a way, because everybody really knows me as the blond bubbly character, and this is a different side.”

Ashley on striking a balance between going more adult and keeping her young fans: “I don’t feel pressure because I’m not trying to be something that I’m not. … I’m not perfect, I’m not trying to be perfect, and if people and fans like me for who I am, that’s just amazing. With the first album, I was trying to cater to young fans and the kids, and also an older group, and with this album, it’s like I said, it’s a reflection of where I am in my life right now.”

Ashley on whether she feels pressure from Hollywood to self-destruct à la Lindsay Lohan and Britney Spears: “I don’t drink and I don’t smoke, and it’s a personal choice. I don’t go clubbing (laughs) mainly because you’re dancing and drinking, I think, but I definitely love to dance. I like to have fun but my fun is different from other people’s fun. Just because I live in L.A. and I live in Hollywood doesn’t mean I have to have a Hollywood life.”